Colt Model 1911A1 U.S. Army .45 ACP - Disassembly Instructions

TO
TAKE DOWN THE PISTOL.

Remove the magazine by
pressing the magazine catch. (After removing magazine, look
to see that there is no cartridge left in the chamber.)

Press the plug inward with
the index finger of the right hand (or butt of magazine).
Turn barrel bushing to the right until the plug is free to
go forward; then release tension on the spring gradually to
prevent plug from jumping away. Draw slide back until the
rear edge of the smaller recess in the lower edge of the
slide is even with the rear end of the slide stop; press
against end of slide stop which projects from the opposite
side of the receiver above the trigger guard, and draw out
the stop.

This releases the barrel,
link and slide, which may then together be drawn forward
from the receiver, carrying also the barrel bushing, recoil
spring, and recoil spring" guide. Remove the spring and
guide from the slide. Turn the barrel bushing to the left as
far as it will go and draw forward from the slide. This
releases the barrel which may then be drawn forward and out
if the link is tilted forward.

The foregoing is all the
dismounting necessary to clean and properly care for the
arm.

It is not necessary to remove
stocks as all parts of the pistol can be dismounted and
assembled with the stocks in place.

In taking the pistol apart,
use no hammer, as dismounting and assembling is quick and
easy after a little practice.

The hammer should not be
snapped when slide is removed from the receiver.

TO
COMPLETE DISMOUNTING

The safety lock is removed by
cocking the hammer, then grasping the thumb piece of the
safety lock between the thumb and index finger, steadily
pull outward and at the same time move back and forth. Lower
hammer (don't snap) and push out hammer pin using the safety
lock. Remove hammer and then, using hammer strut, push out
the housing pin; then with the hammer strut hooked into the
lanyard loop, draw out main-spring housing which contains
main-spring. After pushing the sear pin from right to left,
using hammer strut for this purpose, the sear and
disconnector may be removed.

To remove magazine catch, its
checkered left end must be pressed inward far enough to
permit the catch lock to be turned to the left and out of
its seat in the receiver, using the short leaf of sear
spring, when the catch with its lock and spring may be
removed. Care should be taken to not let the lock and spring
jump away when released.

The trigger may then be
removed rearward from the receiver.

To remove firing pin and its
spring, take hammer strut and push rear end of pin inward
and at same time downward on the stop; this will start the
stop from its seat in the slide. When removing stop take
care not to allow firing pin and its spring to jump away.
The extractor is now free and may be removed by pushing on
its front end with the end of the hammer strut.

To remove main-spring, cap
and housing pin retainer from the main-spring housing, push
the mainspring cap pin partly out, and press main-spring cap
down with hammer strut and while pressing on the cap, pull
the cap pin out. The parts may be then removed.

To
assemble the pistol, proceed in reverse order, noting the
following cautions:

When replacing the slide and
barrel on the receiver, hold the slide and receiver bottom
side up and see that the link is tilted forward as far as it
will go and that the link pin is in place.

To assemble the sear and
disconnector, it is best to put the two together, then hold
the two by their lower ends and put them in place in the
receiver and replace the sear pin.

After the sear and
disconnector are in place, replace sear spring and be sure
its lower end is located in the cut in the receiver and the
upper end of the left-hand leaf resting on the sear, then
slide the main-spring housing in until its lower end
projects below the frame about one-eighth of an inch.
Replace hammer and its pin; replace grip safety; cock hammer
and replace safety lock; lower hammer, then push main-spring
housing home, making hammer strut enter main-spring cap, and
put housing pin in place.

When assembling safety lock,
the end of the magazine follower which projects from the
magazine can be used to push the safety lock plunger back
into the tube. (Hammer must be cocked when doing this.)

When pressing the slide stop
into place, see that its upper rear end stops on the
receiver, just under the small slide stop plunger, then push
the stop upward and at same time inward; this will cause the
upper round part of the stop to push the plunger back and
the stop will snap into place.